McLaren’s costly strategy error at the Qatar Grand Prix may well go down as the moment Lando Norris’ maiden world title slipped away. For a team that had spent most of 2025 controlling the championship narrative, one wrong call under the lights of Lusail turned the season on its head.
And yet, in doing so, they helped set the stage for what is now being hailed as the greatest final-race showdown in modern Formula 1 history: a three-way duel between Norris, Oscar Piastri and a resurgent Max Verstappen.
Earlier in the year, McLaren looked untouchable. Their upgrades worked, their driver pairing was harmonious and fast, and Verstappen appeared to be wrestling with an uncooperative Red Bull. But as the calendar wound down and the late-season pressure rose, the solidity of McLaren’s operation started to look fragile.
Both Norris and Piastri have shown flashes of nerves in recent rounds, pushing too hard or questioning strategy at vital moments. Yet the real unravelling came not from the cockpit but from the pit wall.
The Qatar Grand Prix Safety Car on lap seven will live long in the memories of McLaren fans — for all the wrong reasons. While nearly the entire field opted to pit, McLaren kept both drivers out. It was a decision that immediately looked risky and, within minutes, proved disastrous.
After the race, CEO Zak Brown did not hide from responsibility, admitting bluntly: “We made the wrong call. We feel terrible for both drivers. They did everything right, and the team didn’t.”
Team Principal Andrea Stella was equally candid, breaking down the thinking behind the mistake.
“We believed double-stacking might compromise too much time for the second car, and we expected more cars to stay out,” he said. “It was the wrong interpretation, and it cost us. When you’re fighting for a championship, moments like that can define the outcome.”
Define it they did. Verstappen, previously on the ropes, was handed a lifeline he seized with trademark ruthlessness. Piastri lost a near-certain win, Norris lost crucial points, and the title pendulum swung violently back towards the Dutchman.
Now, heading into Abu Dhabi, the spotlight is no longer just on McLaren’s drivers. The question burning across the paddock is whether the team — from strategists to engineers to the pit crew — can hold their nerve when it matters most.
Because the stakes have never been higher. McLaren have a chance to make history, to secure their first drivers’ title in over a decade, and to crown the rise of two of the sport’s brightest young stars.
But they also stand on the precipice of being remembered as supporting characters in another chapter of Verstappen’s dynasty — the chapter where he claims his fifth consecutive world championship.
The margins are microscopic, the pressure suffocating, and every decision will shape not just the race but the story of this season. Abu Dhabi has hosted dramatic finales before, but rarely with three contenders from two teams, each with a genuine shot at glory.
Can McLaren soak up the pressure and let cool heads prevail on Sunday? Because across the garage, Max Verstappen is having arguably the greatest season of his career, and he is not in the business of letting others write his ending.
